Ex-Defense Minister: Netanyahu Blocked Early Ceasefire, Costing Hostages’ Lives
In his first interview since being dismissed in November, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of deliberately stalling a ceasefire deal that could have secured the release of more hostages from Gaza. Gallant also claimed Netanyahu rejected a major preemptive strike against Hezbollah, a move he believes could have prevented the escalation of violence on Israel’s northern border.
“I think that the Israeli government did not do everything it could have to return the hostages,” Gallant told Yedioth Ahronoth in an interview set to be published in full on Friday.
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According to Gallant, the current ceasefire-hostage deal is nearly identical to one proposed as early as April, which was finalized over the summer. Had the government agreed to it then, he argued, Israel could have secured the release of more living hostages while offering fewer concessions.
“In practice, we could have gotten the same deal with more hostages, and at a lower price, because 110 terrorists serving life sentences were not in discussions then,” he said. Gallant blamed hardline ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir for pushing Netanyahu’s cabinet away from accepting the deal, alleging they prioritized political considerations over hostages’ lives.
